When you are in your car, at night, at a stop light, and you see someone of a minority race coming up to your car, how do you feel? Do you have a gut reaction, and look away? Do you reach up and lock your door? Do you run the light to be sure you are safe? This is a form of racial profiling.  If you are a woman walking down the street and see someone of another race approaching you do you hold your purse closer to your side? There is no indication that the minority person coming toward you is doing anything other than going to the corner to cross the street, however you feel unsafe somehow, and secure your environment against a potential attack. This paranoid behavior can be attributed to many things. Fear of the unknown is a strong catalyst in getting people to react protectively. News media, movies and television, and prejudice also cause negative responses to the appearance of particular racial groups. There are also those who fit a particular personality or physical type that are considered the “usual suspects” in larger crimes, like rape, serial murder, or robbery. A science has been developed in finding out the particulars and finding a perpetrator from the information derived.

 

Although this practice seems acceptable behavior for normal citizens who are attempting to maintain their own personal safety in the best way possible, it is not acceptable for police officers to use similar tactics to target a particular group of people because of their race, gender, religious belief, or demographic.

 

The act of choosing a suspect because of their race has been called racial profiling by members of the minority groups being targeted. There are also those who would consider it to be police procedure. There are many police officers in both large cities and small towns that look at the members inside a vehicle before determining whether to stop them, and if done, what other actions they may take against the citizen. There are disparities within the police force between the percentages of each ethnic group who is stopped, and the census count of the city where they were stopped. After stopped for a traffic violation, there were also disparities in involuntary searches of vehicles between ethnic groups. In Chicago, a 2006 article states: “Minority drivers and their vehicles were much more likely to be searched. Police searched Hispanics in 17 percent of stops, blacks in 15 percent and whites in just 6 percent.” (Taren & Keith, 2006). Although there is disparity, it must be considered that profiling may not be going on, but instead a particular group in a particular area may just have a higher propensity toward criminal or illegal behavior. When an accusation of profiling has been made, this has to be ruled out or confirmed also.

 

In Saint Martin Parish in Louisiana there is demographic and racial profiling by the Louisiana State Police in traffic stops. There is a presumption by the police in the south of Louisiana that most of the drug trafficking that is going on in their region comes from Texas, and that Hispanic males are transporting the drugs into their parish. The police who patrol the St. Martin Parish poise their vehicles so they are able to view the oncoming traffic. They look for out-of-state license plates, usually those from Texas, and then check to see if the driver of the vehicle is Hispanic. In addition to being Hispanic, and being from out of state, the LSP also looks for rental cars. The premise is that drug traffickers will use rental vehicles to ensure that their property is not seized or forfeited if caught (Ruiz & Woessner, 2006). The police cruisers are in full view of traffic which prompts drivers to slow down to evade capture for speeding. This ensures the police officers have ample opportunity to check plates, drivers and if the car is a rental (Ruiz & Woessner, 2006). An unequal number of Hispanics are pulled over in St. Martin Parish than in any other parish in Louisiana.

 

There is inequality across the country in police investigations for infractions. Hector Perez experienced racial profiling in Alvin, Texas. He had a problem with the battery in his car. He took the battery out, and was walking to the gas station I worked at so that he could charge up the battery. A police man drove up to him, picked him up, and took him miles away to the police station to check his background. Hector was not a criminal, did not have a record, and no warrants against his name. When the police found this out, they did not help him at all, just told him he could go, and then Hector had to walk from the middle of town back to the gas station on the outskirts at night. When he asked about getting a ride back to where he was picked up, the police officer remarked that he was already walking it would do him good, and did not help him. He was picked up for being a Hispanic male, and then disrespected even more after they found that there was no reason to hold him. If Hector had been a white male he would not have been treated the same way. He may have been picked up and checked out, but the police would have driven him to his destination instead of making him walk miles with a battery (Perez, 1985).

 

Those who object to profiling by the police department are from minority groups. Never has anyone complained of racial profiling when the suspect is a white adult male and the police officer is African American. If the suspect, however, is an African American male in his mid 20’s then African American activist will be quick to start calling the media and complaining of racial profiling, even if the police officer making the arrest is African American. After the Sept. 11 terrorist acts, many men with Middle Eastern appearance were pulled over and investigated by local police officers. Even those who only looked to be of Middle Eastern descent were investigated, including Hispanics light skinned African Americans, and dark skinned Italian Americans, as well (Perez, 2001). Under the extreme circumstances most people understood the heightened security, and were ready to do their part to ensure the security of the United States.

 

Recently, with the crime rates increasing in cities after natural disasters as with Hurricane Katrina and Rita, police in Houston, TX are looking to former Louisiana residents as potential suspects in new crimes that are being committed. There is an unfortunate number of criminals who have slipped through the cracks from Louisiana prisons that are now free to start committing their criminal acts in a new town. Because of the increase in crime from the neighbors to the east, the Houston police force has tried to increase their concentration of personnel in higher crime areas. They are concentrating on African American young men who have southern Louisiana former residences. There are many additional crimes being committed from drug dealing to rape and murder. Not only are the police concentrating on African Americans, but they are also checking out the demographics. Many gang members hid out with the rest of the evacuees who moved to Texas cities (Flakus, 2005). Most of the evacuees were law abiding citizens who came to Texas to escape the devastating storm that demolished their homes. There is no real way for police to know which people are innocent victims, and which are violent criminals without investigating innocent people as well. Many of the records of criminals was destroyed in the floods. Interviews with some of the evacuees show that they feel they are being singled out because they are from Louisiana, and not because they have criminal records.

 

High profile members of Congress are not immune to racial profiling either. For example a nationally reported conflict in March, 2006 on Capitol Hill discusses that Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was detained by a Capitol police officer. She had forgotten her congressional pin at home and when confronted displayed her congressional ID. The police officer grabbed her by the arm, not allowing her to go forward, and she hit him with her cell phone. This congresswoman had been with Congress for 6 years, and was a well known member. The police officer claimed he did not recognize her because she had changed her hairstyle. Ms. McKinney is a black woman, and the police officer was white (Carter, 2006). She claimed that he would not let her pass because she was a black woman. All members of the police force are expected to be able to identify the members of Congress (Carilla, 2006). It seems that most police officers are able to identify the caucasian members of Congress, but not all could identify those of minority race (Carilla, 2006).

 

Racial profiling is not limited to the United States. In Toronto, Canada, there was an investigation into allegations that Canadian police officers were unequally targeting African American drivers for traffic violations. In addition to this, blacks were more likely to be charged in cases of failing to change their driver’s license, not having proof of insurance or other after-the-fact offenses. It was also found that more blacks were arrested instead of being ticketed for minor drug possession (Minorities Global Village, 2006).

 

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, many European countries have been using the same profiling tactics as those in the United States against those of Middle Eastern heritage (Justice Initiative, 2006). There is a fear in Europe because of their proximity to Afghanistan and Iraq among other less than friendly Muslim dominant countries. Many individuals of Middle Eastern descent or background are being singled out by Europe’s police forces on the streets and in airports (Justice Initiative, 2006).

 

States are beginning to acknowledge that racial profiling in routine traffic stops is a growing problem within their police forces. Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, signed a bill into law in 2005 to reduce the racially motivated traffic stops and consensual searches of vehicles owned by minorities. The bill, SB 2368, was signed to mandate that all police departments within Illinois are to report all traffic stops, including the race of the individual driving the car. This bill includes an extension, and increased reporting of police departments from once a year to semi-annually (Crime Control Digest, 2006).  The original three year study showed that the disparity between white and minority traffic stops was slightly reduced in the reported group of 99.5% of police departments state-wide (Crime Control Digest, 2006). Police cruisers were equipped with cameras to record the traffic stops that were made by police officers, and were subsequently used within the scope of the on-going study. The reporting time frame was extended from being completed in 2007 to being completed in 2010 by SB 2368. In regards to the extension, the governor is cited as saying: “Three years simply is not enough time for a study as important as this, so extending it is a step in the right direction," (Crime Control Digest, 2006).

 

The other side of racial profiling is the police officers’ side. They feel that a minority of police are actually acting against particular races in their communities. They believe that most police are being treated with the same suspicion as those of minorities. “Guilt by uniform” is a new phrase being spoken by police officers who are trying to do their job in the most law abiding way as possible (Cloud, 2001). When an incredible amount of African Americans are responsible for rapes and single murders, white males are almost always profiled for serial killings, and more sophisticated murders like plotting to kill one’s wife. Because of statistics, police try to do their jobs accordingly, but are then accused of racial profiling for taking experience and previous information and applying it to new similar crimes.

 

In Cincinnati, Ohio police began working opposite from racial profiling. They started to ignore crimes, and not make as many arrests because they were being watched and monitored for reported racial profiling accusations. They felt that they would need judicial permission to perform their jobs properly, so many crimes went unpunished (Cloud, 2001). As an example, in June 2000, 5,063 arrests were made for disorderly conduct and weapons violations compared to only 2,517 in June 2001. That is nearly a 50% reduction in arrests. Also arrests for violent crimes, like murder and arson, also declined a few percent even though the actual amount of crimes committed increased by 20% (Cloud, 2001).

 

There is another form of less invasive profiling done by police. Criminal profiling is the method by which detectives can determine what kind of person could be responsible for a particular crime (Petherick, 2005). Criminal profiling was first developed by the FBI, conducted by behavioral scientists; psychologists who study actions and reactions of humans and animals (Dictionary.com).  Police officers in the course of their investigations can have a tendency to follow patterns that have proven to be consistent in past cases. There are different factors to consider, including the type of crime, the area the crime was committed, the weapons and methods used, and the race of the individuals involved. If, for example, police are looking for a serial killer, they would look to “white, middle class, males, between the ages of 25-40” (Stevens, 2006). They would start with this particular type of person because most serial killers fit into this category. If they found information to the contrary the police would definitely change their investigation to fit the descriptions more likely. The same would hold true for drug dealers in inner-city neighborhoods. They would go after the human type that most fits those who would be involved in this crime.

 

The FBI has training programs for their agents in order to show them how to perform profiles for crimes that are their responsibility to solve. Unrelated to FBI training, the School of Investigative Psychology instructs by using direct scientific application of statistics and psychological knowledge to investigating crimes (Decaire, 2003). This method of training uses much more statistical information than the FBI model of criminal profiling. Because of the statistical format, the approach by this school does have scientific validity, however opinion and experience that can be obtained from FBI style profiling is an asset in even this training style (Decaire, 2003).

 

Before the police force secured their own full-time behavioral scientists, each department would employ the expertise of psychologists and psychiatrists to help them to determine patterns and psychological and physical attributes that could be considered in a suspect. One of the first psychiatrists employed for this reason was Dr. Thomas Bond (Petherick, 2005). Dr. Bond was secured to assist with determining what type of person could be Jack the Ripper. By examining each of the victims, Dr. Bond was able to determine that each of them had been killed by a single person. He surmised the suspect to be “a quiet inoffensive looking man, probably middle aged and neatly dressed.” (Petherick, 2005). He came to this conclusion by evidence that was provided by Scotland Yard. He said that they were all killed by the same hand because of the precision of the injuries that caused death, and the methods by which each had been killed otherwise. This is now known as a “signature.” (Petherick, 2005). The signature entails behaviors or actions that allow the offender the psychological or physical fulfillment he is seeking (Petherick, 2005). To improve the success of using profiling in criminal cases, psychological, regional, and DNA evidence and information are all used in conducting the research toward a racial, demographic, and personality type who could be responsible for a particular type of crime.

 

Some profiling is not acceptable by anyone, especially by those who are to protect and server the citizens of their region. Racial and demographic profiling that is done in traffic stops to harass and implicate innocent citizens does not provide the right appearance for police officers. There are profiling methods, though, that are very useful in removing very dangerous people from the streets. Criminal profiling is a tool used first by the FBI and then by local police departments to assist in locating and arresting violent murderers, burglars, and rapists. In criminal profiling, there are no complaints as to the behavioral psychologists coming up with a personality type, or race to guide police toward the suspected criminal.

 

References

Anonymous Author (2006). Illinois Profile Study Shows Less Disparity, Crime Control Digest, Vol.40, Iss. 26, Retrieved on November 6, 2006 from http://libsys.uah.edu:3077/pqdweb?index=1&did=1117362771&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1162859297&clientId=59796

Carillo, Karen (2006). Grand Jury: No indictment against McKinney, New York Amsterdam News, Vol 97 Issue 26, retrieved on November 6, 2006 from http://libsys.uah.edu:3206/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=116&sid=4fba44c5-7ec7-48e4-bcdd-22623334bc5e%40sessionmgr107.

Carter, Richard (2006). Even Black members of Congress are subject to racial profiling, New York Amsterdam News, 4/13/2006, Vol. 97 Issue 16,Retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://libsys.uah.edu:3206/ehost/detail?vid=31&hid=112&sid=62f2cadc-1a86-41e9-87b4-81196791e659%40sessionmgr103.

Cloud, John (2001). What’s Race Got to do With It? Time Magazine, retrieved on November 7, 2006 from http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101010730/cover.html.

Decaire, Michael (2003). The Future of Criminal Profiling, Suite 101 Retrieved on November 7, 2006 from http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/forensic_psychology/26583.

Dictionary.com (2006). Retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/behavioral%20scientist.

Flakus, Greg (2005). Houston Cracks Down on Criminals Among Katrina Evacuees, Voice of America, 19 Dec, 2005, Retrieved on November 7, 2006 from http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-12/2005-12-19-voa63.cfm?CFID=31603549&CFTOKEN=63315348.

Justice Initiative, (2006). Ethnic Profiling in Europe, Open Society Justice Initiative, retrieved on November 7, 2006 from http://www.justiceinitiative.org/activities/ncjr/police/ethnic_profiling/.

Minorities Global Village (2006). Evidence of Black Racial Profiling by Canadian Police, IMDiversity.com, Retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://imdiversity.com/villages/global/civil_human_equal_rights/racial_profiling.asp.

Perez, Hector (1985, 2001). Account of personal experience with Alvin police officers and aftermath of 9/11.

Petherick, Wayne (2005). Criminal Profiling: how it got started and how it is used, Crime Library, Courtroom TV, Retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminology/criminalprofiling2/

Ruiz, Jim & Woessner, Matthew (2006). Profiling, Cajun style: racial and demographic profiling in Louisiana’s war on drugs, International Journal of Police Science and Management, Vol 8, No 3. retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://libsys.uah.edu:3206/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=111&sid=519d8162-bd29-4978-9834-5139a1915f52%40sessionmgr107

Stevens, Loren (2006). Experts.com. Retrieved on October 29, 2006 from http://experts.about.com/q/Careers-Police-1531/Police-Profiling.htm.

Taren, Sophia & Keith, Ryan (2006). Racial gaps in traffic stops raise questions of police profiling, Chicago Defender. Retrieved on October 29, 2006 from retrieved on November 5, 2006 from http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/local.cfm?ArticleID=7148.